External financial advice is very important, particularly, for established businesses. However, financial advisers have a mixed reputation in the market for their services offered feels Brian Linnekens. There is pool of financial advisers in the market but many of these are known for their insightful advice.

Clear you doubts of hiring a financial adviser

The first and most important question to know is your requirement. You must know whether you need advice or just information for your finances. For people who are just seeking some information like what should be done with pension etc. you can log on to several websites. These websites include information about mortgages plus the best savings and credit card deals.

However, in case you are short of time and are not confident about your finances, seeking financial adviser’s advice is crucial. An adviser can recommend several appropriate products. Usually, advisers expertise are in different areas- some are financial advisers while some are stockbrokers, tax advisers etc. Make sure you hire an independent adviser who can recommend you appropriate products from the market. Some of the pointers to hire financial advisers according to Brian Linnekens are:

Hire professional financial adviser from the market-

Ensure to check the certificate of the financial adviser to avoid any disappointments. You can’t hire anyone from the market to advice you on your finances. Professionals are trustworthy and their professionalism is their real power. Generally, financial advisers must have certification from Certified Financial Planner or Personal Financial Specialist. Be sure about his reputation the market and his previous clientele.

Ask and discuss around from friends and colleagues-

To hire a financial adviser, you can ask around from friends and business colleagues. You can check registries with professional associations such as Associations of Personal Financial Advisers to locate good financial adviser.

Know your requirements-

As mentioned above, you must know why you want to hire a financial adviser. If you are clear about your needs then locating the right person to advice should be quiet easy. Since financial planners expertise is in different areas make sure to hire the person that suits your needs by interviewing several different financial advisers.

Understand how the adviser gets paid-

Some financial planners are paid a fixed amount during their tenure so they don’t charge commissions for the services. On the other hand, commission based planners don’t charge their clients for frequent visits rather they owe some portion in the products and services. Fee-only advisers are rare so the majority of financial advisers are commission based.

Know the alphabet soup-

A Certified Financial Planner (CFP) is a person who would be able to advise you on the whole financial picture. However, the CFA is the person with expertise in investing and CPA is a person tackling with tax issues. You would have to choose the one who fits your requirements.

In current market scenario, picking the right financial help is really tedious. Clients have to be extra careful about hiring the best one. If you hire the wrong person, it could be disappointing for you in future. Finances have to be managed by a person who is an expert in his area and trustworthy. Research and planning is crucial and do as much as research you can to get the right one.